+15\u00a0BONUS\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0739\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third\u00a0Person\u00a0POV<\/p>\n
The\u00a0shadow\u00a0region\u00a0was\u00a0darker\u00a0than\u00a0most,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0exactly\u00a0how\u00a0Daisy\u00a0Baldwin\u00a0imagined\u00a0it\u00a0would\u00a0be.\u00a0It\u00a0reeked\u00a0of\u00a0rogue\u00a0and\u00a0an\u00a0unsettling\u00a0magic\u00a0that\u00a0drifted\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0air.\u00a0Daisy\u2019s\u00a0tampered\u00a0dress\u00a0was\u00a0dragged\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0mud,\u00a0and\u00a0her\u00a0normally\u00a0flawless\u00a0skin\u00a0held\u00a0dirt\u00a0from\u00a0her\u00a0walk\u00a0through the\u00a0forest\u00a0that\u00a0took\u00a0her\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0neutral\u00a0territory\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0second\u2013largest\u00a0empire\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0world.<\/p>\n
A\u00a0shadow\u00a0lurked\u00a0around\u00a0the\u00a0corner,\u00a0but\u00a0Daisy wasn\u2019t\u00a0afraid.\u00a0She\u00a0probably\u00a0should\u00a0have been,\u00a0but\u00a0these\u00a0last\u00a0few\u00a0weeks\u00a0for\u00a0her\u00a0have\u00a0not\u00a0been\u00a0easy.\u00a0Since\u00a0she\u00a0stole\u00a0the\u00a0Moon\u00a0Gem\u00a0from\u00a0one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0only\u00a0women\u00a0she\u00a0saw\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0mother\u00a0figure,\u00a0the\u00a0only\u00a0one\u00a0she\u00a0could\u00a0consider\u00a0a\u00a0friend,\u00a0things\u00a0have\u00a0not\u00a0been\u00a0pleasant\u00a0for\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0hadn\u2019t\u00a0been\u00a0able\u00a0to\u00a0show\u00a0her\u00a0face\u00a0back\u00a0at\u00a0her\u00a0home.\u00a0She\u00a0had\u00a0been\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0run\u00a0ever\u00a0since; she\u00a0ran\u00a0into\u00a0various\u00a0rogues\u00a0and\u00a0witches,\u00a0none\u00a0of\u00a0whom\u00a0were\u00a0pleasant.\u00a0But\u00a0she\u00a0held\u00a0onto\u00a0the\u00a0hope\u00a0that\u00a0things\u00a0would\u00a0be different\u00a0soon\u00a0enough\u00a0because\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0promised a\u00a0better\u00a0future if\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0\u201cgood\u00a0girl\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0did\u00a0exactly\u00a0what\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0told.<\/p>\n
Working\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0most\u00a0prestigious\u00a0family\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0world\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0easy,\u00a0but\u00a0it\u00a0would\u00a0be\u00a0worth\u00a0it\u00a0soon\u00a0enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u00a0came,\u201d\u00a0a\u00a0female\u00a0voice\u00a0said\u00a0from\u00a0behind\u00a0a\u00a0tree.<\/p>\n
Lila\u00a0Blackwell\u00a0stepped\u00a0around\u00a0the\u00a0corner,\u00a0her\u00a0blonde\u00a0locks\u00a0tied\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0long\u00a0braid\u00a0down\u00a0her\u00a0back.\u00a0Her\u00a0pretty\u00a0blue\u00a0eyes\u00a0stared back\u00a0at\u00a0Daisy\u00a0with almost\u00a0a\u00a0kind\u00a0sincerity,\u00a0though\u00a0Daisy\u00a0knew\u00a0that\u00a0Lila\u00a0was\u00a0anything\u00a0but\u00a0kind.\u00a0She\u00a0was\u00a0as\u00a0vicious\u00a0and\u00a0vindictive\u00a0as\u00a0they\u00a0came.\u00a0She\u00a0played\u00a0everyone\u00a0in\u00a0her\u00a0path,\u00a0and\u00a0only\u00a0Daisy knew the\u00a0truth\u00a0about\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid\u00a0I\u00a0have\u00a0a\u00a0choice?\u201d\u00a0Daisy\u00a0asked,\u00a0already\u00a0knowing\u00a0the\u00a0answer.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0corner\u00a0of\u00a0Lila\u2019s\u00a0pretty pink\u00a0and\u00a0very\u00a0plump lips\u00a0tipped\u00a0upward.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u00a0you\u00a0didn\u2019t,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0replied\u00a0simply.\u00a0\u201cUnless\u00a0you\u00a0want\u00a0to\u00a0face\u00a0my\u00a0brother\u2026\u201d\u00a0(1<\/p>\n
Daisy\u2019s\u00a0cheeks\u00a0burned.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0was\u00a0very\u00a0familiar with\u00a0one\u00a0of\u00a0Lila\u2019s\u00a0brothers,\u00a0Noah.\u00a0He\u00a0was\u00a0her\u00a0eldest\u00a0brother\u00a0and\u00a0was\u00a0in\u00a0line\u00a0to take\u00a0over\u00a0the\u00a0entire\u00a0empire\u00a0once\u00a0their\u00a0father,\u00a0Zachary,\u00a0retired.\u00a0However,\u00a0that\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0be\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0very\u00a0long\u00a0time.\u00a0Zachary\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0one\u00a0to\u00a0give\u00a0up\u00a0his\u00a0business\u00a0that\u00a0easily\u2026\u00a0not\u00a0without\u00a0an\u00a0actual\u00a0reason.\u00a0He\u2019d\u00a0rather\u00a0die\u00a0than\u00a0hand\u00a0over\u00a0the reins.<\/p>\n
It\u00a0was\u00a0because\u00a0of\u00a0Noah\u00a0that\u00a0Daisy ended\u00a0up\u00a0in\u00a0this\u00a0mess\u00a0to\u00a0begin\u00a0with.\u00a0He was\u00a0handsome\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0huge\u00a0flirt,\u00a0capturing\u00a0her\u00a0attention\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0moment\u00a0she\u00a0first laid\u00a0eyes\u00a0on\u00a0him.\u00a0The relationship\u00a0began with\u00a0just\u00a0sex,\u00a0and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0all Daisy\u00a0and\u00a0Noah\u00a0initially\u00a0agreed\u00a0upon,\u00a0but\u00a0then\u00a0it\u00a0evolved\u00a0into\u00a0so\u00a0much\u00a0more.\u00a0She\u00a0had\u00a0no\u00a0idea\u00a0what\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0getting\u00a0herself\u00a0into\u00a0at\u00a0that\u00a0time\u00a0in her\u00a0life;\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0young and\u00a0dumb.\u00a0However,\u00a0she\u00a0ended\u00a0up\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0situation\u00a0she\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0escape.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0reached\u00a0up\u00a0and\u00a0touched\u00a0her\u00a0mark;\u00a0it\u00a0still\u00a0throbbed,\u00a0though\u00a0it\u00a0had\u00a0been\u00a0years\u00a0since\u00a0he had given\u00a0it\u00a0to<\/p>\n
1\/3<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0739<\/p>\n
+15 BONUS\u00a0<\/p>\n
her.\u00a0She\u00a0covered\u00a0it\u00a0with\u00a0makeup\u00a0so\u00a0no\u00a0one\u00a0else\u00a0could\u00a0see\u00a0it,\u00a0but\u00a0she\u00a0could\u00a0always\u00a0feel\u00a0it.\u00a0It\u00a0had\u00a0its\u00a0own\u00a0heartbeat;\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0warm\u00a0beneath\u00a0her\u00a0touch,\u00a0and\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0stepped\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0line\u00a0in\u00a0any\u00a0way,\u00a0such\u00a0as\u00a0bedding\u00a0another\u00a0man,\u00a0it\u00a0would\u00a0cause\u00a0her\u00a0such\u00a0severe\u00a0pain\u00a0that\u00a0she\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0be\u00a0able\u00a0to\u00a0stand\u00a0straight.<\/p>\n
Daisy\u00a0was\u00a0nothing\u00a0more\u00a0than\u00a0a\u00a0pawn\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Blackwell\u00a0games,\u00a0but\u00a0Lila\u00a0assured\u00a0her\u00a0that\u00a0she\u00a0could\u00a0get\u00a0her\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0it\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0desired.\u00a0At this\u00a0point,\u00a0Daisy\u00a0would\u00a0do\u00a0just\u00a0about\u00a0anything\u00a0to\u00a0break\u00a0the\u00a0bond\u00a0that\u00a0connects<\/p>\n
her\u00a0to\u00a0Noah.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0spent\u00a0years\u00a0getting\u00a0close\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0Landry\u00a0family,\u00a0and\u00a0then,\u00a0the\u00a0moment\u00a0Donna\u00a0Landry\u00a0trusted\u00a0her\u00a0enough\u00a0to\u00a0show her\u00a0the\u00a0heirloom\u00a0that\u00a0the\u00a0Blackwells\u00a0were\u00a0seeking,\u00a0she\u00a0had\u00a0her\u00a0chance.<\/p>\n
Daisy\u00a0expected\u00a0to\u00a0return\u00a0to\u00a0Noah\u00a0like\u00a0the\u00a0good\u00a0pet\u00a0that\u00a0she\u00a0was,\u00a0but\u00a0he\u00a0told\u00a0her\u00a0to\u00a0stay\u00a0away\u00a0until\u00a0he\u00a0called\u00a0for\u00a0her.\u00a0He\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0want\u00a0a\u00a0trail\u00a0to\u00a0return\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0Blackwell\u00a0Empire.<\/p>\n
Daisy\u00a0suffered\u00a0in\u00a0silence,\u00a0feeling\u00a0the\u00a0pain\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0mate\u00a0bond\u00a0as\u00a0she\u00a0did\u00a0nearly\u00a0every\u00a0night\u00a0since he\u00a0marked\u00a0her\u2026\u00a0feeling him\u00a0as\u00a0he\u00a0bedded\u00a0other\u00a0women,\u00a0disregarding\u00a0the\u00a0bond he\u00a0already\u00a0had.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0already\u00a0knew\u00a0another\u00a0woman\u00a0was living with\u00a0him\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0constant,\u00a0and\u00a0that\u00a0was\u00a0the\u00a0main\u00a0reason\u00a0he\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0want Daisy\u00a0to\u00a0return.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0was\u00a0done\u00a0being\u00a0his\u00a0pawn\u2026\u00a0she\u00a0suffered\u00a0in\u00a0silence\u00a0for\u00a0far\u00a0too\u00a0long,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0time\u00a0she\u00a0took\u00a0back\u00a0her\u00a0life.\u00a0So,\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0needed\u00a0to\u00a0use\u00a0his\u00a0sister\u00a0to\u00a0get\u00a0that,\u00a0she\u00a0would.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s\u00a0not\u00a0bring\u00a0up\u00a0your\u00a0brother,\u201d\u00a0Daisy\u00a0said,\u00a0her\u00a0eyes\u00a0narrowed.<\/p>\n
Lila\u00a0smirked,\u00a0knowing\u00a0she\u00a0had\u00a0Daisy\u00a0right\u00a0where\u00a0she\u00a0wanted\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo\u00a0you\u00a0have\u00a0the\u00a0sage\u00a0I\u00a0requested?\u201d\u00a0Lila\u00a0asked.<\/p>\n
Tonight\u00a0was\u00a0the\u00a0full\u00a0moon,\u00a0and\u00a0in\u00a0order\u00a0to\u00a0do\u00a0the\u00a0ritual\u00a0required\u00a0to\u00a0activate the\u00a0Moon\u00a0Gem,\u00a0they\u00a0needed\u00a0a\u00a0special\u00a0sage.\u00a0Lila\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0want\u00a0to\u00a0take\u00a0any\u00a0chances\u00a0by\u00a0being\u00a0seen,\u00a0so\u00a0she\u00a0sent\u00a0Daisy\u00a0to\u00a0do\u00a0her\u00a0bidding\u00a0for\u00a0her.\u00a0Once\u00a0the\u00a0gem\u00a0is\u00a0activated\u00a0and\u00a0Lila\u2019s\u00a0true\u00a0powers\u00a0are\u00a0unlocked,\u00a0she\u00a0can\u00a0break\u00a0the\u00a0bond\u00a0between\u00a0Noah\u00a0and Daisy\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0give\u00a0Daisy\u00a0the\u00a0power\u00a0she\u00a0needs\u00a0to\u00a0start\u00a0her\u00a0life\u00a0over\u00a0and\u00a0be\u00a0protected\u00a0until\u00a0the\u00a0end\u00a0of<\/p>\n
her\u00a0days.<\/p>\n
Daisy\u00a0reached\u00a0into\u00a0her\u00a0cleavage\u00a0and\u00a0pulled\u00a0out a\u00a0small\u00a0baggie\u00a0of\u00a0sage,\u00a0holding it\u00a0up\u00a0for\u00a0Lila,\u00a0who\u00a0smirked.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerfect,\u201d\u00a0Lila said,\u00a0taking\u00a0the\u00a0sage and\u00a0walking\u00a0towards\u00a0the little\u00a0circle\u00a0she had already\u00a0created.\u00a0She\u00a0placed\u00a0the\u00a0sage\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0center\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0circle,\u00a0sprinkling\u00a0it\u00a0with\u00a0her\u00a0fingers\u00a0inside.<\/p>\n
Ruby is a master of holiday romance and slow-burn love stories that warm the heart like a crackling fire. Her novels weave festive magic with lingering glances and tender moments, drawing readers into cozy worlds where love unfolds one snowflake at a time. Off the page, she\u2019s baking cookies and dreaming under twinkling lights.<\/p>\n
We Built a Kingdom From Ashes That Still Remembered Love by Aila Frost 739 +15\u00a0BONUS\u00a0 Chapter\u00a0739\u00a0 Third\u00a0Person\u00a0POV The\u00a0shadow\u00a0region\u00a0was\u00a0darker\u00a0than\u00a0most,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0exactly\u00a0how\u00a0Daisy\u00a0Baldwin\u00a0imagined\u00a0it\u00a0would\u00a0be.\u00a0It\u00a0reeked\u00a0of\u00a0rogue\u00a0and\u00a0an\u00a0unsettling\u00a0magic\u00a0that\u00a0drifted\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0air.\u00a0Daisy\u2019s\u00a0tampered\u00a0dress\u00a0was\u00a0dragged\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0mud,\u00a0and\u00a0her\u00a0normally\u00a0flawless\u00a0skin\u00a0held\u00a0dirt\u00a0from\u00a0her\u00a0walk\u00a0through the\u00a0forest\u00a0that\u00a0took\u00a0her\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0neutral\u00a0territory\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0second\u2013largest\u00a0empire\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0world. A\u00a0shadow\u00a0lurked\u00a0around\u00a0the\u00a0corner,\u00a0but\u00a0Daisy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shadow-slave-by-author-novelnozi-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21808\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}